temples & architecture
Wat Chaloem Phra Kiat
Aug
Table of Contents
The Floating Pagodas
Wat Chaloem Phra Kiat is a stunning, modern Buddhist temple complex in the Chae Hom District of Lampang Province. It sits atop the limestone peaks of Doi Phra Bat (also called Doi Pu Yak) at about 815 meters elevation. From a distance, the white and golden stupas appear to float above the clouds and the valley below — the origin of its nickname. Wat Chaloem Phra Kiat is popularly known as the “Floating Pagodas” or “Sky Pagoda.” Thai people call this place “Chedi Loy Fah” (เจดีย์ลอยฟ้า). The temple belongs to the Dhammayuttika Nikaya order, one of the two orders of Theravada Buddhism in Thailand.
Wat Phra Phutthabat Sutthawat
Since 2010, the official name of the temple has been Wat Phra Phutthabat Sutthawat (วัดพระพุทธบาทสุทธาวาส). “Phutthabat” (พุทธบาท) means “Buddha footprint,” and “Phra” (พระ) means “holy” or “sacred.” “Sutthawat” (สุทธาวาส) means “pure monastery.” Before 2010, the temple was known as Wat Chaloem Phra Kiat Phrachomklao Rachanusorn (วัดเฉลิมพระเกียรติพระจอมเกล้าราชานุสรณ์). “Wat” (วัด) means “Buddhist temple,” and “Chaloem Phra Kiat” (เฉลิมพระเกียรติ) literally means “honorable” or “in honor of.” “Phra Chomklao” (พระจอมเกล้า) is the Thai name of King Mongkut, Rama IV (1804–1868). “Rachanusorn” (ราชานุสรณ์) refers to a site built to commemorate the benevolent reign of a Thai monarch, in this case, King Mongkut.
In this blog, I’ll use the name Wat Chaloem Phra Kiat, since it’s the most widely used.
The Buddha footprint
According to local sources, pilgrims and Buddhists visited this remote limestone mountain long before Wat Chaloem Phra Kiat was built. The presence of a Buddha footprint (Phra Phutthabat) drew visitors, and every year villagers would walk up to worship it. The road from the base of the mountain to the parking lot, where the staircase to the summit begins, was likely a walking trail that once led to the footprint.
The footprint itself is only a short walk from the parking lot where the trucks drop off visitors before the climb. A small building lets you view it, and there are several Buddha images nearby, along with the monks’ quarters.
Construction of the Pagodas
Luang Pho Phaibun Sumangkalo (Phra Thep Wisutthiyan), abbot of Wat Analayo Thipyarama in Phayao Province, came to worship the Buddha’s footprint. The Sangha, the official community of Theravada Buddhist monks and novices in Thailand, then decided to build a temple near the footprint to commemorate the 200th birthday of King Rama IV (Mongkut) in 2004. King Mongkut founded the Dhammayuttika Nikaya order as a reform movement within Buddhism in 1833, while he was still a prince.
Local monks and villagers worked together to carry building materials up the steep mountain. This was a group of around 50 Buddhist worshippers some of whom came from Wat Analayo in Phayao Province. It must have been a herculean effort: by most accounts, it took about ten years to complete the buildings and place the pagodas on the sharp limestone ridges.
Visiting Wat Chaloem Phra Kiat
After arriving at the base of the mountain, you’ll need to buy a ticket, which covers both the entrance fee and the return trip by vehicle to the start of the ascent. As of August 2026, the total price for foreigners was 290 THB per person. Transport up is by song thaew, a truck fitted with two facing benches (“song thaew” means “two rows”), which can carry ten people. The truck won’t leave until at least half the seats are filled. The ride up the steep, narrow road is exciting but short, taking no more than ten minutes. You’ll arrive at a parking lot where the trucks wait to bring people back down.
The Walk up to the Pagodas
At the parking lot, there’s a small cave with Buddha images and a sala housing another Buddha image, plus a small kiosk selling drinks with a terrace with a view. At the start of the walk up, information boards show a map of the route and general guidance, including a stern warning to check your health before making the climb.
The staircases are solid and well constructed, with steps that are never too steep. On my visits, conditions were dry. Walking up in heavy rain might be difficult because the steps will be slippery. Overall, the walk is not hard and is very pleasant. Along the way there is a great viewing deck aw well as several resting spots. I’ve seen both old and very young visitors make the walk up. Just before you reach the temple at the summit, a side staircase leads to a sacred spring. when I visited, it was dry and there wasn’t much to see.
Amazing views
Even during the ascent, the views are stunning. When I visited in January 2024, the skies were clear but the rice fields had already turned yellow. In the wet “green” season, the views are even more dramatic. I saw striking cloud formations and rice fields at their most vivid green. I added two photos taken from the same viewpoint on the ascent, in January 2024, and in July 2026.
There are two viewpoints on the top of the mountain. The more spectacular one is small. A narrow, steep steel staircase leads to a tiny viewing deck. The other is a sala with a Buddha image, offering more space (though it was quite crowded during my visit). The staircase to this second viewpoint is easier and wider than the main climb up. As far as I could tell, there’s no full 360-degree view from the mountain.
My visits in 2024 and 2026
I have visited Wat Chaloem Phra Kiat twice by car in January 2024 and again in July 2026, and enjoyed every minute both times. On the July 2026 trip, I spent the night in Lampang and set off around 08:30, stopping for coffee along the way and arriving at the site by about 10:00. I didn’t have to wait long for a song thaew, and the drive up took just over ten minutes, after which I visited the Buddha footprint. I started the hike up around 1030, took my time, and reached the main area at the top by about 1100.
A great experience
Visiting Wat Chaloem Phra Kiat is a wonderful, unique experience. It’s the combination of remoteness, natural beauty, the short drive up, and the walk to the viewpoints that makes it so special. Because of its remote location, it will likely never draw huge crowds, which only makes the experience feel more personal.
It’s an extraordinarily scenic and spiritually meaningful site that blends modern Thai Buddhist devotion with the dramatic limestone landscape of northern Thailand. It remains far less crowded than better-known temples, especially on weekdays. Wat Chaloem Phra Kiat is frequently listed among northern Thailand’s most spectacular “unseen” viewpoints.
How to get to Wat Chaloem Phra Kiat
From Chiang Mai: Google Maps shows two options if you take Wat Phra Sing in the Old City at starting point:
- Via Doi Saket (Roads 118 and 1252): 101 km, about 2.5 hours. This route is mountainous and narrow in places.
- Via Lampang (Roads 11, 1157, and 1035): 160 km, also about 2.5 hours. Road 11 is a busy highway, but Roads 1157 and 1035 are good, quiet roads.
Should you visit the temple from Chiang Mai or Lampang?
Some sources recommend visiting Wat Chaloem Phra Kiat as a day trip from Chiang Mai. I don’t recommend doing this. It means roughly five hours of driving round trip, and the roads can be stressful regardless of the route. If you do go on a day trip from Chiang Mai, hire a local driver. If you’re driving yourself, take a car rather than a motorbike. You need your own transportation. There is no public transportation, as far as I can see.
I’d recommend visiting from Lampang instead, staying at least one night there. Depart at 08:00 and you can be back in Lampang by 13:00. This will give you plenty of time to enjoy the site properly, with a quick lunch there too.
Practical Information
- Ticket sales: 07:00–16:00 on Saturdays, Sundays, and national holidays; 07:30–16:00 on weekdays
- Entrance fee for foreigners: 290 THB per person (includes entrance and the round-trip songthaew ride).
- Children (foreigners): 180 THB per person (age not specified).
- Thai nationals: 120 THB for adults, 70 THB for children, 90 THB for elderly visitors.
The location of Wat Chaloem Phra Kiat
Expeditions
